Movable imprinting deck mechanism

ABSTRACT

A movable imprinting deck mechanism for use in a continuous mail sorting and postage imprinting system which automatically weighs and meters each piece of mail. The system is designed to rapidly handle a large quantity of mixed mail. Mixed mail is continuously and synchronously fed in seriatim along a continuous feed path. Unsealed envelopes have their flaps wetted and sealed. All the envelopes are stopped at a weighing station where they are weighed, and the postage corresponding to their particular weight is computed. The determined postage value is used to continuously reset a postage meter which imprints the required postage upon each envelope as it arrives at a metering station. The imprinting mechanism of the invention insures a uniform printing of postage upon each piece of mail despite its thickness. The metering and weighing functions of the system are synchronized such that the postage meter will imprint the proper postage upon each piece of mail, despite the fact that several envelopes may be simultaneously in transit along the feed path. Overweight pieces of mail are rejected from the feed path prior to their reaching the postage meter station. Metered and overweight pieces of mail are separately stacked.

llnited States Patent 1191 Schubert 11] 3,915,089 Oct. 28, 1975 1 1 MOVABLE IMPRINTING DECK MECHANISM [75] Inventor:

[52] US. Cl 101/232; 271/274 [51] Int. (ll. B6511 5/04; B65H 29/38 [58] Field of Search 101/232-235,

101/238, 240', 198/162; 271/271, 272-275; 197/149; 198/DIG. l6

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 356,406 l/l887 Hey & Laass 101/234 632,527 9/1899 Hey 101/234 1,383,267 6/1921 DeEscobales... 271/274 1,637,253 7/1927 Friedrichs 271/274 2,360,174 10/1944 Thatcher 101/235 3,035,684 5/1962 Conner 1 198/162 3,386,564 6/1968 Pease 198/162 3,446,330 5/1969 Schneider 271/272 3,618,934 11/1971 Germuska 1 271/274 3,741,536 6/1973 Anderson 271/274 Primary Examiner-Edgar S. Burr Assistant Examiner-Paul J. Hirsch Attorney, Agent, or Firm-William D. Soltow, Jr.; Albert W. Scribner; Robert S. Salzman [5 7 ABSTRACT A movable imprinting deck mechanism for use in a continuous mail sorting and postage imprinting system which automatically weighs and meters each piece of mail. The system is designed to rapidly handle a large quantity of mixed mail. Mixed mail is continuously and synchronously fed in seriatim along a continuous feed path. Unsealed envelopes have their flaps wetted and sealed. All the envelopes are stopped at a weigh-.

ing station where they are weighed, and the postage corresponding to their particular weight is computed. The determined postage value is used to continuously reset a postage meter which imprints the required postage upon each envelope as it arrives at a metering station. The imprinting mechanism of the invention insures a uniform printing of postage upon each piece of mail despite its thickness. The metering and weighing functions of the system are synchronized such that the postage meter will imprint the proper postage upon each piece of mail, despite the fact that several envelopes may be simultaneously in transit along the feed path. Overweight pieces of mail are rejected from the feed path prior to their reaching the postage meter station. Metered and overweight pieces of mail are separately stacked.

9 Claims, 30 Drawing Figures U.S. Patent' Oct.28, 1975 Sheet3of 19 3,915,089

U.S. Patent 0a. 28, 1975 Sheet 4 of 19 0 FRAME SUPPORT FlG.2b

US. Patent Oct. 28, 1975 Sheet60f19 3,915,089

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ww mmw 54mm 6250 US. Patent Oct. 28, 1975 Sheet7of 19 3,915,089

US, Patent Oct.28, 1975 Sheet8of 19 3,915,089

US. Patent' Oct. 28, 1975 v Sheet9of19 3,915,089

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U. S Pawnt Oct. 28, 1975 Sheet 10 of 19 3,915,089

ACTUATOR SETTINGS STEPPER MOTORS SOLENOIDS DOLLARS (o-\) TENS (0-9) cemsm-g) 3 302 303% 4 US. Patent Oct.28, 1975 Sheet 13 of 19 3,915,089

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mum mtz: 3 328 0mm 0mm 92. $6528 hmm 0mm mmm 5m U..S.. Patsnt Oct.28, 1975 Sheet 14 of 19 3,915,089

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U.S. Patent Oct. 28, 1975 Sheet 18 of 19 3,915,089

US. Patent Oct. 28, 1975 Sheet 19 of 19 3,915,089

FIG. l7 

1. A movable imprinting deck mechanism for use in a postage meter system, wherein mail of different thicknesses will obtain a uniform printing impression from a postage meter imprinting device disposed thereon, said imprinting deck mechanism comprising: first and second deck members having substantially flat adjacent mail engaging surfaces, said deck members receiving mail of different thicknesses between said adjacent surfaces, said second deck member translating from said first deck member in response to receipt of said mail; a base; and linkage means interdisposed between said second deck member and said base and comprising a pair of pivotable links which are pivotable about their midportions relative to said base, one end of each link being movably secured at opposite ends of said second deck member, said links having a gear face at the other end thereof, the gear faces of the links being intermeshing, so as one link pivots, the other link is caused to pivot by the same amount, whereby as one end of said second deck member is caused to separate from said first deck member, the other end of said second deck member will separate the same amount from said first deck member, thereby resulting in a uniform separation of saiad deck members.
 2. The movable imprinting deck mechanism of claim 1, wherein said linkage means comprises biasing means for urging said second deck member towards said first deck member after mail leaves the deck members.
 3. The movable imprinting deck mechanism of claim 1, wherein said second deck member supports an impression roller disposed opposite to an imprinting roller carried by said postage meter imprinting device.
 4. The movable imprinting deck mechanism of claim 3, wherein said impression roller is movably supported by said second deck member and biased into contact with said imprinting roller, to provide sufficient contact pressure between the imprinting and impression rollers to cause a quality postage imprint to be formed.
 5. The movable imprinting deck mechanism of claim 1, wherein said second deck member has a feeder lip disposed at one end thereof.
 6. The movable imprinting deck mechanism of claim 1, wherein said first deck member further comprises means to feed pieces of mail across the second deck member surface.
 7. The movable imprinting deck mechanism of claim 6, wherein said mail feed means comprises a continuous friction belt, and means to drive said belt past said second deck member surface, pieces of mail being engaged and transported across said second deck member surface by means of said friction belt.
 8. The movable imprinting deck mechanism of claim 1, wherein the first and second deck member surfaces are parallel to each other.
 9. The movable imprinting deck of claim 1, wherein said first and second deck member surfaces are oriented vertically so as to receive and engage mail traveling in an edgewise manner. 